Customer Reviews (5)

"The double face of alchemy-laboratory and library-corresponds to the two-fold nature of the individuation process:
. . . the active nature of participation in outer reality and relationships, together with the process of inner reflection."

The above quote from page 83 of von Franz' book illustrates the reason that Jung and von Franz were interested in alchemy: as a symbolic portrayal of psychic processes, particularly individuation.Individuation is the goal of all psychic processes which, in a nutshell, is balance--between conscious and unconscious processes achieved in part by developing a healthy connection with the collective unconscious.

This book displays the masterly scholarship of M.L. von Franz, who wrote this book as an introduction to the more arcane and less clearly written books by Jung on the topic.The book is taken from transcriptions of a series of lectures on alchemy.

Von Franz begins with discussing some basic Jungian, mythological and alchemical concepts.She then proceeds to discuss Greek alchemy for several chapters starting with one of the oldest alchemical writings "The Prophetess Isis to her son."Isis' son is of course, Horus.In this passage, an angel comes to Isis and wants to have sex with her.She negotiates a bargain where the angel will tell her the secret of alchemy.The bargain stipulates that she cannot share her secret with anyone except her son.Hence the secret of alchemy--the philosphers stone--is known as "the secret of the widow" (Isis was the widow of Osiris).

In other chapters von Franz discusses Arabic and European alchemy, utilizing other source texts. Von Franz recounts Jung's search for a text called "Aurora Consurgens" conducted with her assistance.Von Franz subsequently translated and published this text which some sources attribrute to Thomas Aquinas.

This is an excellent introduction to Jungian alchemical concepts. The text is accompanied by black and white illustrations of alchemical symbols.

(Remember that this is a transcript of lectures so the writing is not as good as some of von Franz' other works.In particular I found some of the transcribed questions and comments from the peanut gallery to be annoying.)

correction
just a note: the review above refers to Anatomy of the Psyche by Edinger.Anatomy of the Soul is a misprint.

A meeting with a remarkable mind
I first discovered Marie-Louise Von Franz in her collaboration with Emma Jung in their extraordinary book "The Grail Legend", which is by far the most intellectually coherent book I have ever encountered regarding that material, in which they place those strange and surreal stories in the framework of a Jungian perspective on the history of consciousness. In these lectures on alchemical symbolism, Von Franz applies many of the same Jungian techniques to explore some important alchemical texts.

I especially appreciated her decision to explore three texts in depth, rather than simply presenting a survey of alchemical literature, since there are numerous other books that do that. The fact that this is a transcript of a lecture series actually adds a wonderful dramatic tension to the book, since it includes some encounters with the attendees that demonstrate both her tremendous humanity and her impressive understanding of the subject and its relevance to modern psychology.

One of the most provocative concepts presented is the danger of an individual experiencing an overload of revelation from the unconscious, with its accompanying challenge of integrating more insight than a mere mortal can manage. Von Franz explores this concept especially well in the discussion of the text by Thomas Aquinas, where we learn about his very stressful final years in a very moving lecture that continues to provide me with much to ponder.

Great introductions to a fascinating subject
If I had my time over again I would read these three books on alchemy in the following order:All of them are excellent in their own sphere to introduce a complex process.

(1) The Forge and the Crucible - Eliade
This is an excellent prehistory of alchemy showing the patterns of thought out of which Alchemy most probably arose.An easy read.

(2) Anatomy of the Soul - Edinger
Set out according to seven processes involved in alchemy Calcinatio, Solutio, Coagulatio, Sublimatio, Mortificatio, Separatio, Coniunctio, this is an accessible book that puts each process in reasonably neat boxes, (though the considerable overlap and intermingling is acknowledged).The approach is somewhat mechanical.

(3) Alchemy, an Introduction... - Von Franz.
More 'organic' than Edinger, Von Franz has a very warm and human touch.She deals with the origins of alchemy in Egypt and Greece and delves into the 'Aurora Consurgens', attributed to Aquinas.She includes relevent and interesting case material.Being a transcription of lectures, it is a little haphazard, though none the less informative for that.

A digestable introduction to a bewildering subject
This book comprises a series of lectures on Greek, Arabic and European alchemy. Since it is not written material every word is not weighed, which is a problem within the field of Jungian psychology. It's, however, quiteinteresting. One major surprise is that St. Thomas Aquinas is, with greatlikelihood, the author of the alchemical work 'Aurora Consurgens.'

MatsWinther ... Read more

Book Description
An illustrated foray into the hidden truth about the use of psychoactive mushrooms to connect with the divine.

Draws parallels between Vedic beliefs and Judeo-Christian sects, showing the existence of a mushroom cult that crossed cultural boundaries.

Contends that the famed philosophers' stone of the alchemist was a metaphor for the mushroom.

Confirms and extends Robert Gordon Wasson's hypothesis of the role of the fly agaric mushroom in generating religious visions.

Rejecting arguments that the elusive philosophers' stone of alchemy and the Hindu elixir of life were mere legend, Clark Heinrich provides a strong case that Amanita muscaria, the fly agaric mushroom, played this role in world religious history. Working under the assumption that this "magic mushroom" was the mysterious food and drink of the gods, Heinrich traces its use in Vedic and Puranic religion, illustrating how ancient cultures used the powerful psychedelic in esoteric rituals meant to bring them into direct contact with the divine. He then shows how the same mushroom symbols found in Hindu scriptures correspond perfectly to the symbols of ancient Judaism, Christianity, the Grail myths, and alchemy, arguing that miraculous stories as disparate as the burning bush of Moses and the raising of Lazarus from the dead can be easily explained by the use of this strange and powerful mushroom. While acknowledging the speculative nature of his work, Heinrich concludes that in many religious cultures and traditions the fly agaric mushroom--and in some cases ergot or psilocybin mushrooms--had a fundamental influence in teaching humans about the nature of God. His insightful book truly brings new light to the religious history of humanity. 

Customer Reviews (8)

An excellent book
Clark Heinrich's book is excellent.Clark provides practical information on the Amanita muscaria mushroom, its natural history and practical uses as a psychoactive, and he provides a "speculative history" of the role of the mushroom in human history through analysis of works of art and literary narratives.

To the newcomer to this field, much is surprising.As one begins to explore the territory, some of what Clark asserts appears to be well-supported.Some of what he says may find more support as he and others pursue lines of inquiry he opens or extends.Some of it may just be wrong, and Heinrich admits he is fully aware of the risks of exploration.

We have today a few bits and pieces of solid information about people using Amanita muscaria as a psychoactive, often in a religious context, in scattered locations around the world.For example, we have reports from western observers of Amanita use by tribes in Siberia.In addition to describing how they used it, they also described some of the local lore of the mushroom, its "nicknames" and mythology.Scholars like Heinrich have found (or, some would say, have spun) a far-flung web of speculative associations between this mushroom lore known from a few localities and the mythologies of many cultures.While the analysis of the stories passed down the ages through oral and then written traditions has many perils, another thread in the web is the persistent reappearance of mushrooms, often disguised but sometimes obviously, in paintings and sculptures through the ages.These paintings often depict the events of stories where Heinrich and others find the symbolic connections between the known mushroom lore (Siberia, etc.) and the speculated upon lore within the warp and woof of the history of culture and civilization.

Here's an example of a series of connections, from mushroom natural history, to known lore, to speculation, to "seeing is believing": the mushroom first emerges as a white "egg" shape, then grows to maturity, the cap eventually inverting so that its margins are higher than its center.If one slices across the cap, the view explosed is like that of uplifted wings of a white bird.Birds and eggs are of course an association pair, and there are reports of users of the mushroom giving it bird nicknames.In addition to this appearance of wings, there is the association of the psychoactive mushroom with visionary flight.And so Heinrich and others suggest that where we see winged angels or descending doves in words or pictures in mythology, we may be seeing psychoactive mushroom referents.

It sounds like perhaps a stretch.But then we open another book co-authored by Heinrich, "The Apples of Apollo" and find photographs of ancient Greek vase paintings of the winged Gorgon Medusa (whose blood was medicinal), and of Hyakinthos riding to Paradise on the back of a swan, and quite clearly the depicted wings bear much more resemblance to sliced mushroom caps than to the pattern of feathers on bird wings, which the artists were fully capable of rendering, had that been their intention.It appears obvious that these vase painters were communicating to an initiated audience traditions into which they were themselves initiated.If the mapping of mushroom lore onto religious symbolism is simply a "confusion" created by drug-addled minds, it appears that this "confusion" has existed a long time and surfaces again and again where we have glimpses into esoteric traditions which may have been carried on continuously for thousands of years.

Heinrich is deeply indebted to R. Gordon Wasson, the father of ethnomycology, especially for Wasson's thesis that Amanita muscaria was the "Soma" of early Hindu religion.Heinrich contributes additional information to corroborate this thesis, and his chapters on the traditions the subcontinent are a strong part of the book.Here we also have mention of the Psilocybe species.

Speculation on the role of the mushroom in the semitic traditions that brought us Judaism and Christianity were introduced by John Allegro, a tenured professor who took "early retirement" in the wake of the controversy surrounding his "The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross", which contained much far-flung speculation and a certain amount of mean-spirtedness toward both modern christians and drug users past and present.Heinrich reports on Allegro'stheories and offers his own speculations on Adam, Eve, the serpent, the fruit, Moses, the visionary prophets and the New Testament.He devotes a chapter to the Gnostics, and another to the Holy Grail, a Christianized ancient Celtic legend.

It appears that Heinrich is the first person in recent history to speculate that the Amanita muscaria mushroom occupies a central role in the alchemical traditions pertaining to the Philosopher's Stone.He offers a tantalizing set of parallels between the mushroom and the "stone", and includes some illustrations from alchemical texts which are strongly suggestive of these connections.Alchemical symbolism is deliberately obscure, as the alchemists were sworn to secrecy.It was their habit to publish works regarding the stone which deliberately teased the non-initiate while entertaining the initiated ones.Alchemical traditions continued to be passed from masters to apprentices from the classical world through the medieval, into the 18th century.

Indeed, it appears that the 18th and 19th centuries mark a point of transition, as the alchemical tradition disappears.If it did indeed include a full and conscious knowledge of a tradition of the mushroom as the "Philosopher's Stone" and of its use, this is the last time we see it written about by them "in the know".Today we can only speculate and attempt to re-construct and rediscover.Heinrich's tips on mushroom use may be useful to those who would seek to rediscover the secret of the stone.Indeed, the fact that most people do not find Amanita investigations especially fruitful is one reason that speculations that this mushroom once played a huge role in human history meet with resistance.Part of the mushroom mystique is the possibility that some people of the past were more adept in mastering its use, in bringing to fruition its hidden potential.

Sexual imagery plays a role in Heinrich's speculations, and in the history of religion.The themes of unity underlying apparent multiplicity and oppositions and of creation from couplings are ancient and recurring in the human quest for meaning and in the stories that seem to have written themselves within us.The mushroom, with its columnar stem and wheel-like cap, appears to be a perfect metaphor for the creative process in which from unity dualities emerge and then join to bring about new creation.The psychoactive mushroom appears as flesh, but it releases spirit with us.Given the power of the mushroom metaphor, and the power of the mushroom, it is not surprising that Heinrich sees it "everywhere", and perhaps it is everywhere, even if not every person in history who ever painted or sculpted a winged messenger from heaven consciously intended to depict the visionary shroom.Heinrich stimulates us to see the mushroom everywhere and also to wonder how many of those who went before us have seen it thus.Perhaps more than a few of them.

Amanitas everywhere.
The author has been accused of seeing amanitas everywhere and since reading this short and enjoyable book ... so do I.The author admits that some of his links are a bit of a stretch and I would agree with this assertion.Overall the research is scholarly, well done, and a pleasure to read even if you don't agree with the theories.For the most part the theories make logical sense and could explain many events in the past.The book also backs up claims made by andria puharich in "The sacred mushroom key to the door of eternity" ( <---must read), Terence Mckenna's "Food of the gods" and John marco allegro's "The sacred mushroom and the cross".IMO A lot of the events are better explained by reading zecharia sitchin's earth chronicles (10 books on old sumerian texts) but heinrich's theories fill in the gaps.Where the book really shines is in exploring thealchemical, new testament and vedic references.Also check out the erowid website for supplemental information.

Sex, drugs, and Godhead!
Clark Heinrich is an exceedingly clever, authoritative writer, who keeps readers in thrall with his subject by colorful propositions and turns of phrase that tease and engage the intellect. In this speculative history, he demonstrates an astonishing erudition for religion, myth, art, and the cultural history and botanical details of the Amanita muscaria mushroom. In making his case, speculative as it is, he provides innumerable references to genitalia, sex acts, and various bodily processes and their by-products, which has a way of anchoring his often far-fetched-seeming ideas in the corporeal realm. He also piques interest when his tone turns irreverent, specifically in his treatment of the Judeo-Christian belief system he was born into, where he rightfully, if self-consciously blasphemously, points out that there is little if any reason for sentient beings to believe that the so-called miracles cited in the Bible were the work of supernatural forces. He offers a more concrete and perhaps more likely explanation for seminal religious phenomena: the ingestion of Amanita muscaria and the subsequent encryption of its inspirations in the literature, rituals, and symbols of religion and alchemy. I was blown away by the amount of thoughtful research that went into this insightful and entertaining work. To arrive at his conclusionns, controversial and speculative as they are, he would have had to spend many hours poring over and interpreting esoteric texts in varying translation, and then on the trial and error of attempting to fit the Amanita key to unlock their mysteries. While I came away fairly convinced that the Amanita mushroom likely played a role in the development of at least some religious creeds, I found some of the author's "proof" to be of the "you had to be there to really appreciate it" sort. The "evidence" is sometimes so visual or semantic and so multilayered, that it dosen't hit home withimeediacy. Several questions emerge. Does the Amanita have any role in the Islamic faith (a almost entirely overlooked in this volume)? If so, why wasn't it documented? If not, how and why would it have eluded the third of the three Abrahamic creeds? Why is it that in all the instances of Amanita cult around the world, the identification of the mushroom in question is disguised and not outrightly revealed? Why if even mainstream religions are allegedly built on visionary experiences prompted by the "plants of the Gods" is the identity of these plants not more plainly revealed, at least from some likely sources or at certain logical historical junctures? It's hard for me to believe entheogenically derived inspiration would be so rigorously relegated and obscured as "forbidden knowledge" over the milennia. The ambiguity of encryption leads to speculation that is bound to turn nutty and implausible even in the most capable hands. Still, by incisive analysis as well as persuasive insinuation, Heinrich's highly readable and scholarly work makes a strong case for the entheogenic underpinnings of religion. The narrative of his own personal experience with Amanita ingestion is hilarious, compelling, and numinously stirring -- so much so that I included an excerpt of it in my own book Tripping: An Anthology of True-Life Psychedelic Adventures published in the interim between the release of the original, British edition of Heinrich's book, Strange Fruit, and the expanded, American, edition, the one I'm reviewing here. This is a fun and brilliantly illustrated book. Enjoy!

shroomified
a well-researched (but fun-loving) exploration of the psychedelic underpinnings of religion. Vibrantly illustrated and effectively carrying the torch from greats such as R. Gordon Wasson, this one's a keeper.

Mushrooms, myth and magic
This beautifully illustrated investigation into the entheogenic use of psychoactive mushrooms, more specifically the fly agaric or Amanita Muscaria, draws parallels between religious literature and the psychedelic experience. The author looks at ancient cultures and certain symbols in the Hindu scriptures, Judaism, Christianity and Alchemy. He believes this Amanita mushroom was the soma of the ancient Vedic people according to his interpretation of certain passages from the Rig Veda. He discusses the work of entheogenic pioneer R Gordon Wasson and then discusses the following prophets of Israel in detail: Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah and Ezekiel. With the exception of Ezekiel's visions, I did not find his ideas convincing in this regard. He seems to find mushroom references everywhere! That includes the Song Of Songs, a book he claims is a song "in praise of the divine mushroom." Hmmm, I don't know. He also deals with the story of Jesus, the last supper, crucifixion etc. and here too, I think the author is stretching it a bit. The chapter on Gnosticism, the Dead Sea Scrolls, The Nag Hammadi scriptures, especially books like the Gospel of Truth, the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Philip, the Apocalypse of Adam and the Apocryphon of James is very engaging, thorough and quite insightful. He also covers the Grail Legend and claim the philosopher's stone was none other than the fly agaric mushroom. The author then describes his ingestion of the sacred mushroom over a period of 31 days, when he finally had a brilliant and transformational numinous experience on the last day, as an example of heaven. He also describes a bad trip when he became nauseous and had a deeply unpleasant experience. He concludes with the observation that the proper use of entheogens requires maturity, education, instruction and guidance plus a safe and protected setting. He is convinced that the informed use of these substances challenges any system of dogma or brainwashing and claims that the expanded consciousness is a genie that cannot be put back in the bottle. The final message of the book is that heaven is worth the trip. This book was great reading and although I think the author tries too hard to see a mushroom under every myth, he writes with style and offers many valuable insights. Plenty of figures, black and white illustrations and full colour photographs enliven the text and the book concludes with an index. ... Read more

Amazon
Despite unnerving swings in individual stock valuations--or perhaps because of them--many knowledgeable observers still believe the 21st century will ultimately earn its stripes as the Age of Biotech. Cynthia Robbins-Roth, named by Forbes magazine as one of the industry's top insiders, certainly is among them. And in From Alchemy to IPO, she persuasively argues investors better take heed because they ain't seen nothin' yet. "Most of us think of biotech as medicine or genetically engineered crops," writes Robbins-Roth. But in the very near future, she continues, it also "may make it possible for humans to reach the stars and to change the environment on other planets." Think that's far-fetched? She says developments like this are already in early stages and, in a deliberately proselytizing manner, traces their roots to the current business nitty-gritty, finally focusing on the long-term moneymaking potential. "The biotech world will never be an easy place for investors," she cautions, but with hundreds of ongoing projects "poised to power into the marketplace," there will be plenty of "opportunities for investors and employees alike."Recommended for readers seeking an informed tutorial on this field of the future. --Howard Rothman Book Description
A fascinating glimpse inside the life-and-death business of biotechnology.

"A tour-de-force for anyone who is interested in the biotech industry. I applaud the enormous achievement of Cynthia Robbins-Roth." -Frederick Frank, Senior Managing Director & Vice Chair, Lehman Brothers

"From Alchemy to IPO tells the dramatic story of this revolutionary industry as only an insider can." -George Rathmann, President and CEO, ICOS Corporation, Chairman Emeritus, Amgen

Written by a well-known industry insider, From Alchemy to IPO addresses the coming-of-age of biotech products and companies and traces the history of biotechnology from its early inception in the seventies to today's heyday of new solutions and breakthrough treatments. It describes the amazing entrepreneurial trail of product development, novel business models, and critical trials that eventually pave the way to market. This is the first book to accurately record the inner workings of an industry-biotechnology-that's on the verge of living up to its monumental promise to change the world as we know it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Good introductory text and overview of the industry
I read From Alchemy to IPO for an MBA course on entrepreneurialism in the pharmaceutical industry. Given my background (undergraduate business, financial analyst role, limited in-depth scientific knowledge), I found this book to be a very useful and balanced guide to both the business and technical aspects of biotechnology.

Robbins-Roth includes enough information on initial public offerings (IPOs) and merger activity among biotech firms to warm the hearts of the most resolute business student, but the drug discovery and development process is also covered in sufficient detail to give the lay reader an understanding for the operational challenges faced by firms in this sector.

Add to this the competent yet necessarily superficial descriptions of more esoteric terms such as monoclonal antibodies and combinatorial chemistry, and you have a solid text that covers the industry and its ongoing challenges very well.

Brilliant Overview
This is a great overview of the world of biotech.The author explains the science with clarity and enthusiasm and the introduction this book provides to the corporate side of biotech is also very interesting and well written.

bad writing
I read the first 20 pages of this book and quit.It was too painful to keep going.The author's wording in convoluted, tangential, and just plain annoying.She throws out dozens of names from the industry, so many you can't keep them straight.There is poor flow to the writing, so you cannot understand why she is telling you things from one line to the next.The topics of each paragraph jump from one subject to another with abrupt, confusing transitions.I returned the book!

Clear and non hyped intro into biotech
I'll be starting a biomedical engineering Ph.D. program in the fall and have read recently a few books on the biotech subject.This one gave the clearest picture of the biotech industries, the companies in them, how to manage and finance them, as well as how to recognize solid biotech companies for investing purposes.A quick and entertaining read for anyone interested in the business behind biotechnology.

WAY OVERRATED BOOK ON BIOTECH
to quote another user: "The author's expertise in science, finance, management strategy, and journalism..." the author can write decently and she may know about biotech (hard to judge for me not being a scientist)...BUT her knowledge about management strategy and finance is limited at best...that wouldn't be so bad if she were to stick to write about science...however, she thinks she knows about finance and strategy...who wants to read about strategy should stick with hamel, pralahad, porter etc., who wants to read about finance (valuation) should stick with copeland et al, and who wants to read about ipos should try articles by jay ritter. ... Read more

Book Description
Through his internationally acclaimed "Anti-Career" workshops, Rick Jarow has helped thousands transform their work lives by using the simple energy of desire. Now with The Alchemy of Abundance, Jarow invites us to use this ever-present energy to catalyze change in our relationships, our creative pursuits, our financial well being, and more. Working with twelve specific "chambers" of abundance, readers learn to focus their passion and desire to create immediate changes in their lives. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Creative Visualizations through Guided Meditation
"The core practice here, akin to the alchemical distillation of gold, is known as "manifestation," bringing the deepest, purist expression of your life into visible form." ~Rick Jarow, Ph.D.

Rick Jarow, Ph.D. teaches an opening to the realm of inner vision in order to manifest abundance in the outer world. He believes that what we focus on creates our life, thought by thought.

The book chapters include:

What is Abundance?
Gateways to the Temple of Beauty
Challenges to the Alchemy of Abundance
Creating a Lifestyle of Abundance
The Mandala of Manifestation
Creating an Abundant Society

The guided meditations are comforting and infused with beautiful music which makes them even more appealing. Rick Jarow opens up an inner world where you literally can enjoy inner landscapes that lead you on a visual journey.

The CD includes sessions about your body, money, machines, home, creativity, organization, other, depth, journey, vocation, vision, dissolution and return. You can either go through the entire CD all at once and spend about 80 minutes on an inner voyage or spend about 5-6 minutes on each section. This is perfect if you enjoy a daily meditation session or you could use this a refocusing moment any time of the day.

A journal is recommended to write down any ideas or thought that appear spontaneously. Rick Jarow shows a beautiful depth of creativity and awakens the inner child who enjoys imagining. It is amazing what appears as you listen and visualize. Guided meditations have never been this fun. You truly do receive guidance from your soul throughout this beautiful gift. Some of the things Rick says are actually pretty funny and I'm working on "imagining what I could do with too much money if I had too much money." That was a fun thought.

The "Body" section was interesting. When you enter the realms in your mind, you see a word on a door. When you do through the door, you imagine all sorts of things inside the room and then when you leave, guides (you imagine two people)give you something. My guides gave me a exercise bike, which must have meant I need to ride the bike more and work on that aspect of my exercise routine. You never know what the guides are going to give you, but something spontaneously appears.

When I left the realm of machines, the guides gave me what I thought was a book, then it started spinning and turned into a clock face with fast spinning hands. Now that was interesting and must have some deeper meaning. During the home section, I envisioned steam and aromas lifting off a stovetop and then at the end was handed a boiling pot, but instead of steam, coins were rising and falling out into a mist.

In creativity I envisioned a river of book pages and words and at the end, the guides gave me a swimsuit that looked like it had the shimmering scales of a fish on the fabric. I assume that meant: "Do something creative where you feel like a fish in water or feel comfortable."

During the organization section I imagined a dining room table and then a spinning lotus flower that lifted off the table and into the hands of the guides and then they handed it to me as it turned from a flower into a spinning pottery candlestick that turned into a gorgeous gold candelabra with beautiful burning flames on the top of each candle.

In the realm of depth, I was given a ring with a live butterfly sitting as the "gem" on the ring and throughout there were all these images of butterflies moving through a metamorphosis and emerging from cocoons.

"Journey" had stunning imagery of mountains and retreat locations with the guides giving me a book of music notes that flew up into the sky and turned into doves. By this time, I couldn't wait to figure out what I would see next.

"Vocation" and "Vision" were equally intriguing. I had to light a candle in the room of vocation because at first it was mysteriously dark like I had walked into a nightscape with a forest, but soon I walked through the forest and noticed a sunrise in the distance. The guides were floating above me and poured sparkling water into my mouth as I was looking up at the sky.

In the last section, I was handed a basket of whole-wheat rolls. What I found most intriguing within the entire session was the heart I was handed in one section that was gold and on a necklace and there were little tears (or raindrops?) dropping out of an invisible center. "Dissolution" was the most fun with an underwater world where I was a mermaid one minute and a bird soaring above the ocean the next, but the bird was like my real self with wings.

Not only are you enjoying an imaginative journey, you also can use this meditative space to breathe more deeply. I emerged happy and delighted by this experience and the book is more of a companion to the CD and I think the CD is the experience!

I loved this for the brilliant level of creativity. 100 stars! You have to try this to awaken the answers to questions that could change your life. If you enjoy archetypes or mythology, this makes you feel like you have become a mythical being living in your own imaginary world.

Writers and poets may find this especially healing and it
could inspire poetry or even imaginative novels.

~The Rebecca Review

The Art of Manifestion
A lot of books present manifestion with a kind of just-do-it approach, and it is true that much of the secret of manifestation lies in beginning where you are. However, as human beings living in this time, we are not programmed to look within as a primary place for making things happen in our lives. If we are desiring a new job or a new apartment or a new mate, the first thing we do is look in the classifieds, or go to bar ... in other words, we feel as though we have to do something concrete and definite in order to put ourselves on the road to experiencing the thing that we're desiring. We're not inclined to look within and change the thoughts or impressions that we have about ourselves or the world around us. What we seem to overlook as modern human beings is that a sense of trust in what we cannot see or sense immediately can go a much longer way to getting us from where we are to where we want to be.

In Alchemy of Abundance, Dr Jarow suggests way in which we can develop a feeling of trust in the unseen creative processes that bring about the circumstances in our lives. If we find ourselves in a particular situation, rather than acting right away, we could look more closely at what is happening in order to discover what the situation is trying to communicate to us. Ultimately, we are the ones who create the lives that we live, but instead of blaming ourselves for not "getting things right," we can open up to what is happening on the inside, and, in that way, we become aware of the beliefs and feelings that created the situation in the first place. From that vantage point we can begin to change from the inside out.

This is not a "do-it-quick" method, but something, in my opinion, far more valuable. Manifestation is a process, a way of life, an art. It is the process of examining who we have been so far in our lives, and it presents the opportunity to be something else. Alchemy, he suggests, is an inner "process of self-realization ... that unfolds through the interaction of inner imagery and outer experience." It is the process through which we can observe how our desires become our life, and invites us to have an increasingly conscious part to play in that process. He starts from the premise that we are all abundant beings already; that there is abundance present in our lives whereever we are. It might be difficult to accept at first, but it is a very liberating idea.

Only 81 pages long, it is a book you can easily read in a day, but would take a lifetime to mull over and put into practice. The practice of abundance is not a finite thing, he suggests. It doesn't stop when we get what we want, but goes much, much further than that to transform us as individuals, and ultimately, the world we live in. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Discover New Sufi Poets
Another very good collection of Persian Sufi poetry. This book focuses on poems and poets that are not as well known in the West. A good place to discover some new names.

Beautiful!
This is a very excellent and smooth translation that captures the essence of the sufism and spirituality.

Lovers of literature and Sufi poetry have found another gem
The translators of Love's Alchemy put it best in the introduction:"...if this volume conveys anything, it is the message that Rumi is not alone."For lovers of the more widely known mystic Persian poets, this book will introduce them to the vast range of other masterful writers of that tradition.

The Fidelers have not only recreated the lines in poetically readable English, but they have also provided a valuable appendix on translation issues, and additionally a discussion of the different forms of Persian poetry.Glossary and valuable notes at the end of the book provide further study for those who wish to delve deeper into the mysteries presented within the verses.

It makes a great gift as well for those Rumi and Hafez lovers!

Clean & Elegant rendition of inspiring poetry
I delayed picking this book up for awhile after it came out - I'm not usually one for poetry.It was my loss, and a great one at that.

This volume of thought-provoking and inspirational writings by many great Sufi poets is of immense value to spiritual folks of any faith as well as those who simply appreciate fine poetry.The translation by David & Sabrineh Fideler is very clean and sparing - spartan while still exhibiting an elegance that only comes from both knowledge of the language as well as the meanings intended by the authors.

It's really rare that a compendium of poetry can serve admirably both for leisure reading and academic study, but they've really pulled it off here.The included glossary also helps to explain Sufi symbolism to the reader unacquainted with such things, and thus the work can also serve well as a da'wa tool.

To sum it up, I highly recommend this book & thank the translators for the excellent job they have done here.

An Exceptional Collection of Poetry
This is an exceptional collection of Sufi poetry from a wide range of writers, some well knownin the West and some fairly obscure. David and Sabrineh Fideler's translations are lovely and straight forward, and their choice of poems benefit both newcomers to Sufism and those looking for the deepest truths. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description
From antiquity to the Enlightenment, astrology, magic, and alchemy were considered important tools to unravel the mysteries of nature and human destiny. As a result of the West's exposure during the Middle Ages to the astrological beliefs of Arab philosophers and the mystical writings of late
antiquity, these occult traditions became rich sources of inspiration for Western artists.
In this latest volume in the popular Guide to Imagery series, the author presents a careful analysis of occult iconography in many of the great masterpieces of Western art, calling out key features in the illustrations for discussion and interpretation. Astrological symbols decorated medieval
churches and illuminated manuscripts as well as fifteenth-century Italian town halls and palaces. The transformational zymology of magic and alchemy that enlivened the work of a wide range of Renaissance artists, including Bosch, Brueghel, Durer, and Caravaggio, found renewed expression in the
visionary works of nineteenth-century artists, such as Fuseli and Blake, as well as in the creative output of the twentieth century's Surrealists. ... Read more

Product Description
Translated by Claud Field "Knowledge of a part is better than ignorance of the whole" (Abu`l Feda) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Remarkable!
One of the best books I have read on the divine and sublime nature of the Islamic religion's path to peace and happiness.I highly recommend it.

This book is a great disservice to the Imam's original!
Without doubt the original work by Imam al Ghazzali, entitled "Keemiya-i-Sa'adaat" (Alchemy of Happiness) is one of the great works of world religious literature, especially mystical. However, although it is an abridgement of Imam Ghazzali's magnus opus, "Ihya al Ulum ud-Din" (The Revival of the Religious Sciences) made by the master himself, this translation presents but a TINY portion of the abridged work. To give you an indication of just how much has been left out of this book, I have seen a full Urdu translation of the Keemiya and it runs to approx. 1000 pages. This work is 122 small sized pages!! (The Ihya of course is about 4000 large pages).Obviously therefore most of the book is missing. Secondly, this is an English translation of a French translation of the Urdu version of the Persian from the original! The number of errors in that sequence will be large. Also the translator has made some glaring errors in the translation of some technical Sufi terms used by the Imam. e.g. the word "sama'" has been translated, incorrectly, as it almost invariably is by Orientalists as "music". Now, "sama'" as understood by the Sufis themselves does NOT mean music. Its actual meaning is to listen to melodious voices or singing without musical accompaniment.That is what sama' gatherings were: gatherings of Sufis and disciples to listen to mystical poems sung in melodious voices with the rules of musical rhythms etc. with NO accompanying instruments NOT musical concerts as is often implied.

Therefore as a general taster of the great work by Imam Ghazzali this is ok but it is a poor substitute. Alas, the English speaking world must still wait for the first complete and accurate translation of the Alchemy of Happiness.

"To know Thyself is to know Thy Lord!"
Clear guidance for this age old wisdom propounded by so many enlightened souls from Socrates to Muhammad, peace be upon them.A potent source of inspiration and guidance for purifying the soul and attaining The DivinePresence. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (2)

most accessible text from the top alchemy scholar
William Newman is one of the most knowledgeable experts and a key pioneer in alchemical studies, and this is his most readable, engaging, and socially relevant book. Those who wish to learn about the history of alchemy should start here, and will find references to the next logical steps in the study, but this book is also important for those who wish to understand more about the way our culture understands life using science. Many urgent issues in the philosophy of biology and medical ethics have long been the province of alchemists, which Newman demonstrates with clarity and grace, and anybody interested in these topics will find much of deep interest here. Buy it as a present for any educated person who doesn't understand why people should study Alchemy. Encourage your library to carry a copy. Well worth the price of admission.

Well worth the effort & study
I greatly enjoyed this excellent book, even though it was quite an undertaking to really absorb. It's a book you'll read a bit, then think about, then come back to, working though it and letting each bit you take in trickle through your consciousness before you move on.

As a practicing Alchemist myself, I especially enjoyed the clear explanation of our Western philosophical lineage and the Hermetic tradition that stretches back to the Greeks and before. Whether we realize it or not, here in the US at least, we are educated in this tradition, and think a certain way because of it; the tendency to look to the East for all things spiritual is unfortunate when we have so, so much native to our own culture. This book brings that line right down through the ages, and made me see that I have many more "ancestors" than I thought!

The main theme of the book, Alchemy as the language and arena for the discussion of Art and Nature, is also brought to more modern relevance than might be expected, and examining our scientific heritage through that lens is very useful philosophically. After reading this book, when I hear debates about genetic modification, artificial intelligence, and the like, I realize that these discussions have been taking place for centuries, and the ancients' explorations of these questions have much to teach us now. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Fr. Albertus is respected for a reason, but I can't gather it from this book
This is a very entertaining, beautifully written book that it is difficult to gather much useful information from. Not citing sources is a big problem in many texts of this genre: the reader is expected to rely on the authority of the author, who has a lot to say about "what alchemy is" or "what alchemists think" without referring in detail to exactly where the ideas come from. Frater Albertus did run the important Paracelsus Research society, and is popular among occultists for his book's use for meditational purposes incontemporary "spiritual alchemy"--which I'm not really qualified to comment on (my research focuses on alchemical theologies in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, which are not much like what is represented here). Those interested in Jungian alchemy-as-depth-psychology will find much grist for the mill here that seems to correspond to a concrete theoretical intellectual discipline organized around alchemical symbolism, but those who wish to find out more about the chemical processes involved from a scientific or materialist viewpoint will be disappointed and should seek elsewhere.

An Alchemical Cornerstone
"The Alchemist's Handbook" by Frater Albertus is the one that started it all. Prior to its publication in 1960 there was almost nothing available in the popular literature regarding actual alchemical practices. Written mainly as a beginner's guide as well as an introduction to the Paracelsus Research Society he would later found, the "Alchemist's Handbook" has guided many on their first steps of the alchemical path. Criticised as being heavy on theory and light on practice, it follows the alchemical injunction of 'theory before practice' and does give enough practical information to begin making spagyric products.

Since the creation and later closing (2000)of the Franco-American alchemical society The Philosophers of Nature there has been an explosion of alchemical information on the Internet, in addition, much of this material has also found its way into print. In 2006 at least three books addressing practical laboratory methods appeared in print, all in some fashion having a connection to Albertus and this slim but important book. One of Albertus' later works, "Praxis Spagyrica Philosophica - Plain and Honest Directions on How to Make the Stone" contains additional information and should also be read, unfortunately it is often out of print.

If you are new to hermeticism and alchemy and would lilke to know a little about practical work, or are seeking foundational steps along the path of the Philosophers, this book is for you.

Practical (Laboratory) Alchemy!
Somewhere between the Renaissance and the late Industrial Era, Alchemy changed from an esoteric practice performed practically, in a laboratory environment, to a New Age process by which one changes themselves through meditation and mysticism. All of the ancient texts and grimoires have been construed in this light, now being seen as "blinds", whose real subject was purely spiritual, the whole laboratory process not intended to be taken seriously. Despite the history of the development of modern chemistry, New Agers have bought into this, and the number of texts out there to help the aspiring "spiritual alchemist" in "translating" the ancient grimoires on the subject and their techniques to spiritual practice abound.

This book goes a long way to putting things back the way they were intended. Frater Albertus (one Albert Reidel), who, along with John Reed, is widely regarded as one of the re-discoverers of modern practical alchemy, believes that grimoires say what they mean, and that the techniques within were designed to be practiced, not as metaphors for further practice and techniques. In the extraordinary handbook for the beginner, Reidel illustrates in detail the basic principles of practical (laboratory) alchemy, and describes for the beginner all the things that they will need, both to know and to practice, in order to begin this most fascinating Art and Science.

It is a beginner's book, without doubt but, coupled with Junius's Practical Handbook of Plant Alchemy, it will get the aspiring alchemist pretty far along the path before additional instruction is required. At that point, the alchemist will need to seek out and enroll in the 7-year course (some have done it in less) in Practical Alchemy prepared by Reidel, or wait until Mr. Joseph Lisiewski finishes his summary course based on the same (pull your finger out, Jo!).

Very highly recommended!

As advertised
This is a great beginner's book into the art of practical alchemy.It gives advice on how to set up a practical alchemical lab using widely available apparatus, and how to get started with the Lesser Circulation (herbals).Also included is a great overview of the Magnum Opus of alchemy. A must-have on any alchemist's shelf, or for anyone interested in alchemy.

Not for the scientist
As it's title says it is a handbook for all things Alchemy and if you're some "Full Metal" Fan (a anime series)please DO NOT READ this book!It's alittle techincal and not for the curious.

p.s.
pick up a book that deals with plant guide for this book.It helps. ... Read more

Book Description
The Emerald Tablet--an ancient documentthat contains the essence of the alchemical teachings--has had an important influence on many Western spiritual and religious traditions. Ostensibly concerned with turning base metals into gold, alchemy was in fact dedicated to transforming the lead of self into the gold of spirit. This brilliant history of alchemy traces its sources back to ancient Egypt, and presents alchemy as a useful, practical system of self-transformation. Each of the seven steps of alchemical transformation is explained, with hands-on techniques and exercises, treating alchemy as a living discipline for achieving a spiritual awakening. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Informative and thought provoking
I found this a fasinating read. For the interested layman it gives a good account of alchemy's history in Europe, and explains the basic stages of transformation. Nevertheless, the book confirms that the hermetic form of mysticism seems to be based primarlily on the intellect, so inevitably tends to focus on self rather than others. Thus the power of reason supercedes that of love, which means that adherents (Freemasons, Knights Templars, Rosicrucians, and so on) were susceptible to and had reputations for arrogance. Though I personally enjoy books of this type, ultimately I can't bring myself to share the authors enthusiasm for the alchemical ideal.

Alchemy goes Hollywood.
It's a good start that gets it right in sections, falls short in several crucial areas.....and completely misses the point in others. For example, the hallucinatory section from page 255 pretty well goes against everything taught in alchemy schools. Those who seek out experiences will tend to seek out more such experiences rather than letting the alchemical process evolve naturally. This basic tenet that the adept is taught very early on is ignored, raised red flags straight away.

Nevertheless, a good starting point that acts into a springboard into more measured and well researched works. Lots and lots of references.

Deepand practical for everyday life
I found The Emerald Tablet by Dennis William Hauck, a deep, mystical, transformative and practical book, with enough historical information about its origins, great and simple description of the 7 steps with beautiful examples to help us get a clearer idea to what this steps would look in our life, powerful and practical meditations to help the reader get the most out of this experience.As I am reading this book, it's teachings have come alive in my own life, transforming to the core and from the core of my being!!!!A life changing book!!!!

Reveals the Hidden, Makes Clear the Dark
"The Emerald Tablet - Alchemy for Personal Transformation" by Dennis William Hauck is an interesting read. Filled with examples from his life and those whom he has known - including William Shatner of Star Trek fame - of how alchemical principals works in daily life, "Tablet" also places the process in its vast historical perspective in an informative and somewhat of a page-turner fashion.While "Tablet" does not contain laboratory directions, it does have a great deal of information that is important for practicing alchemists, so that they can see the effects in their 'outer' life of what is happing on the 'inner'.An ideal read for anyone interested in self-transformation, Jungian alchemy, and as said, laboratory work as well.This is a very practical book and one I enjoy reading often. Hauck is a well known and respected author and teacher on alchemy, and I have enjoyed my brief discussions with him. His students have been generous in their discussion of him to me as well.

.....very enjoyable and informative
What's the first thing most people think when they hear the word "Alchemy?"A bunch of medieval old guys with long beards in robes hovering over their fire stoves trying to turn metals into gold.Well...that's the myth.The reality, is that alchemy in an incredibly rich and diverse tradition of spiritual growth and self-improvement, based on the principles of tranformation and symbol.Incorporating all aspects of western mysticism, known sciences of the day, and the gifts of nature and the heavens, it developed onto a sacred tradition with a large emphasis on healing.Healing the body, the soul, the spirit, the plant and mineral kingdoms, the universe....Many of the great medieval alchemists (ie: Paracelsus) became pioneers in areas that became what is today our modern medicine.

In The Emerald Tablet, Dennis William Hauck, a practicing alchemist himself, describes the origins, elements, and practices of this age-old spiritual science.The seven alchemical steps to transformation are universal priciples of Becoming, whether one is working in their lab, their psychotherapy session, or observing the natural unfolding of the universe.To the alchemist, the reward of the experiment, as in everyday life, is in the process, not in the outcome.As this is a book of self-transformation, the focus is on internal or "psychological" alchemy, with many valuable insights using alchemical symbolism, a la CG Jung.Those interested in practical lab alchemy should check out "Practical Plant Alchemy" by Manfred Junius, or the home study courses of the Philosophers of Nature offered by Triad Publishing.Perhaps a bit long-winded (like my reviews) and abstract New-Agey at times, neverthless, this is a fantastic book which is helping expose this wonderful tradition to a wider audience during the current alchemical revival. ... Read more

Book Description

In turn-of-the-millennium India, a penniless would-be writer halts work on his novel only to feed his ceaseless desire for his beautiful wife. Then a chance occurrence moves the lovers to a sprawling old house in a mist-shrouded spur of the lower Himalayas, where a set of diaries written by a glamorous American adventuress is uncovered during renovations. Her words irresistibly draw the writer away from his beloved, thrusting him through the hole of history into another world and time, revealing dark secrets and overturning all certainties.

Customer Reviews (7)

Much better than I expected
Yes, it could have benefited from some editing and yes, it did drag a bit a third of the way through but then the narrative began to gel and by the time we are reading Catherine's journal, the dovetailing plot and philosophical underpinning is clear. A masterful trip thru contemporary Indian history and a fascinating dissection of human desire, most notably sexual desire, but also ambition, power, greed and control.

You'll have to stick with the book, but the ride is definitely worth it.

Price of Lust and Greed !
The nameless protagonist starts the book with "Sex is the greatest glue between two people!"He describes his love life and sex life (Prema - Love), his struggle to be a writer because he wants to write an epic, a book of mythic proportions and not about small things!He is also trying to hold a job (Karma _ Duty). Then he gets the windfall (from his alienated and dead Grandma). (Artha - Money). From this money they buy a house built in the colonial times in the mountains and start renovating it.Now another windfall!The journals of a white woman who once lived in that house are discovered. The author becomes obsessed both with the contents and its author and is alienated from his wife.The journals contain the detailed descriptions of the woman's childhood, her love and sex life and finally her possessiveness of her married lover and where it leads her. Her journals also contain her gay husband's life and sex life etc. (Desire - Kama).In the final chapters, the author finds the missing pieces of the puzzle (not found in the journals) by talking to people whose parents either were her employers or lovers. Now that he is done with the journals and found good material for the book, he has time for her and ready to reconcile with her.He ends the book with "Love is the greatest glue between two people!" (Satya - Truth).Like all great truths this realization comes only after much lust, loss and struggle. Of course! The windfalls helped him. It would have been better to have a name for the hero whose journey ends with the realization that it is not Sex, but Love, which is the glue between two people.

I found the writing about the house and the mountains very good.The protagonist when struggling to be a writer trashes two books he has written, but not only after letting the readers know the stories, but also repeatedly bringing them up in other contexts which I thought was totally unnecessary and irrelevant. Just like a dish, which is too spicy, or a cake with too much icing, there is too much sexual explicit material all through the book. The details are more graphic from a man's perspective, but when it comes to the woman, it is more in clichés, for e.g.,"she served a dish fit for a king" etc.

Last but not the least, I disagree with the statement I found on the front cover of the hardback edition. "At last - a new and brilliantly original novel from India."I don't think this is the first brilliant and original novel. There have been others. What about the book by Ms. Roy? In many ways, she was the first one to come out of the closet and dared to call"a spade a spade". Since then there have been more brilliant and original books from India and Indian Diaspora.

If you can put up with some excesses, it is a good read, but I think some parts are more comprehensible if you are familiar with Indian history and politics.

Also in Lust with Words
I may be jumping the gun in writing this review before I have finished the book but in all honesty I don't know if I will be able to.I am about half-way through and am exhausted by the sheer wordiness of the story. This novel would have benefited from some judicious editing, especially in the overly detailed descriptions of landscape, architecture, secondary characters, etc.There is an overuse of words and expressions that only someone familiar with India would be familiar with and the inclusion of the "story within a story" that he ended up discarding was totally unnecessary.There is minimal character development of Fizz other than being the receptacle for the main character's constant and abiding lust (I haven't gotten to the part where this ceases).If I do finish the book I will come back and amend the review.LATER: OK, I've finally finished the book, and the only amendment is the deduction of a star - the site won't let me change to a 2-star rating, but there you are!Wish I had back the hours spent muddling through this mess!

A truly original novel set in the subcontinent of India
On a flat marble slab, in a thick black Gothic style, busy with curlicues, was engraved: "Who can ever hold the essence of fire? Who can ever know the alchemy of desire?" Below it was written: "Catherine of Gethia, wife of Syed, daughter of John. Died 1942."--From the final chapter.

In The Alchemy of Desire, Tarun J. Teipal, who lives with his wife and younger daughter in New Delhi, has written a stunningly original novel. Containing torrid homilies on hedonism, and bristling scenes of erotic passion, the story skates dangerously over the thin ice of pornography, threatening to sink into its brackish waters.

Indeed, moralists will brand The Alchemy of Desire an obscene work--not a story to be read aloud in genteel society. Others will argue that Teipal's literary artistry lifts it above the crude and the common, thereby confirming the truth of Nietzsche's aphorism, "What is done out of love always happens beyond good and evil."

But therein lies the rub. One of the key relationships portrayed in this novel happen not out of love but out of a demonic obsession to squeeze the last drop of pleasure out of besieged and battered flesh. The frenzied, desperate pursuit of sensual delight is doomed to failure:

"But pleasures are like poppies spread, / You seize the flow'r, its bloom is shed; / Or like the snow falls in the river, / A moment white--then melts forever; / Or like the borealis race, / That flit ere you can point their place; / Or like the rainbow's lovely form / Evanishing amid the storm."--Robert Burns, "Tam O'Shanter: A Tale."

The unnamed protagonist (let's dub him "T.T" or "The Fool") is enchanted with Fiza ("Fizz"). Theirs is a beautiful relationship, one in which true love and desire meet in harmony. She encourages him in his attempt to write The Great Indian Novel, but he experiences writer's block and consigns one failed work to the waters of a lake and the other to the fireplace flames.

T.T. and Fizz move to Delhi, where T.T. finds a job as a subeditor for a newspaper and Fizz is employed as a proofreader and researcher for a publishing firm. They struggle financially, but are supremely happy in their reciprocal love.

In a seemingly fortuitous turn of events, T.T. becomes the heir of a fortune, a financial windfall that allows him and Fizz to purchase a sprawling old house situated 5,438 feet high in the foothills of the Himalayas. As they work to renovate the estate, they believe it will be the perfect place to embody their perfect love.

But then, as in the opening notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, fate knocks at the door. "The Fool" (for that is what we must now call T.T.) discovers a cache of long-abandoned diaries, 64 identical tan-leather notebooks packed into a wooden chest, in four stacks of 16 each. They are the erotic diaries of the previous owner of the estate, a beautiful American woman named Catherine.

Over the next six months The Fool becomes obsessed, night and day, with deciphering the wordwheels of the diaries. His desire for Fizz dwindles and she, rightly feeling ignored and rejected, packs up her bags and leaves. For the next three and a half years, The Fool immerses himself in his "magnificent obsession," slowly deteriorating in body and mind, possessed by Catherine's nightly incubus.

A servant wisely tells The Fool, "Men must know the difference between gold and brass, or be forever doomed." Slowly but surely, The Fool sees the skull beneath the skin, the serpent in the garden, the decay inherent in the act of creation.

At first intriguing, the story within a story--the various encounters between Catherine and her lover, an Indian named Gaj Sigh, described in the leatherbound notebooks--begins to pall. The fascination of their frenzied couplings becomes banal; the chemistry of their unbridled sexuality ends in ennui.

One thinks of Schopenhauer's arresting theory, in "The World As Will and Representation": "Life swings like a pendulum to and fro between pain [the emptiness and suffering caused by need] and boredom [the satiety following the quenching of desire], and these two are in fact its ultimate constituents."

As The Fool wipes the dust off of his neglected typewriter, he senses the presence of his returning muse: "I rolled a sheet of paper through the smooth platten of the Brother, put the quivering tips of my fingers on the shining black keys, and began to hammer. The clacks ran out like rifle shots. Sex is not the great glue between two people. Love ..."
The Fool, let's now call him The Wise Man, has begun to write The Great Indian Novel. And, as a working title, he may even have called it "The Alchemy of Desire."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tarun J. Tejpal has been a journalist for 23 years. He is the founder of Tehelka.com, a news-and-views magazine that has garnered worldwide acclaim for its journalism. Previously, he was editor of India Today and managing editor of Outlook, one of India's premier newsmagazines. He has also written for several international publications, including The Paris Review, The Guardian, The Financial Times, and Prospect. In 2001, Business Week declared him among the fifty leaders at the forefront of change in Asia. His older daughter studies at Hampshire College, Amherst, while the younger lives with him and his wife in New Delhi.

A Stunning New Novel from India
Intro
A few months ago, I had the pleasure of reading an exciting new Indian author, and subsequently requested that the Category Leads add it to this website.

Tarun J Tejpals The Alchemy of Desire was published in 2005, shortlisted for the Prix Femina and won Frances Prix Millepages for Best Foreign Literary Fiction.Tejpal worked in journalism for about twenty years before writing this novel; in 1997 he published Arundhati Roys The God of Small Things and currently runs Tehelka, the leading weekly independent newspaper in India.

The Story
Setting is contemporary India, between 1979 and 1999.Also late 19th- early 20thcentury America (Chicago), Paris and India.The action takes place mainly in bustling, crowded Delhi, small rural villages and lower Himalayas.

When it opens, the novels protagonist (whose name is never mentionedunless Ive missed it somewhere) is reflecting on the day he discovers he no longer desires his beautiful young wife, Fiza (or Fizz).Since theirs is a relationship built on intense eroticism something is obviously very wrong.

The couple have moved from Delhi to an old house in the Himalayan foothills.Here they can give full vent to their lust while the husband (a former journalist and editor who has lost creative inspiration in the city) tries in vain to write yet another novel.During this time the house is being renovated and in the process an old trunk filled with diaries is unearthed.As writers block sets in, the husband becomes disheartened with his work and begins reading the diaries, written by the houses previous owner (Catherine, a wilful and adventurous American woman).Over time he becomes so immersed in the diaries which document Catherine's extraordinary life and unbridled sexuality, he gradually loses interest in Fizz.

Hurt and uncomprehending, she packs her bags and leaves, and for the next five years he works his way through Catherine's notes.After much reflection on his life, marriage and work, he comes to realise how physical desire has been transformed into something stronger and more meaningful.

How Its Done
This is an amazingly rich and complex novel which does not follow a linear storyline and is full of digressions and reminiscences.Written in the first person it is narrated by the protagonist (except for the section on Catherine's life - third person).

The plot contains a second story which impacts in an unexpected and disastrous way on the couples relationship, with vignettes and asides running parallel to the action, and occasional lapses into stream of consciousness or internal commentary.The prose is brilliantly textured and diverse, shifting from the serious or erotic to irony or humour, keeping the reader intrigued and wanting more.Starting with the end of a relationship and a search for literary inspiration, the novel concludes its cycle with the narrator's reminiscences of how that relationship began.

Numbering over five hundred pages, the book is divided into five sections:Love, Action, Money, Desire, Truth, with the narrative moving back and forth between them.The bereft husband ponders past events, recalling the early years of his relationship with Fizz, their mutual manic passion, his time as sub-editor in a highly competitive office (described in wonderfully satirical prose) and the tension created by the disparity between driving lust and loss of creativity.

India in all its colour, smells and diversity is evoked: cuisine, vegetation, dust and mayhem, along with a series of characters, from the crazy to the endearing.The question of national identity is raised as well as the factors which have shaped it, and while Tejpal mocks those who persist in clinging to British ways, he is equally scathing about the politicians of the day and their followers.All of which provides a rich and complex backdrop to the story.

As one would expect from an ex-journo, reporter or editor, the language used here is confident and innovative; the prose shifts effortlessly between lyrical, erotic, humorous and descriptive.The following example typifies the chaos of Delhi's infrastructure:

All through the journey the road was flanked by unfinished buildings.Iron rods sticking out, floors half-finished, walls unplastered, windows and doors missing, terrace balustrades half done.The roadscape suggested no one wanted to finish a building any moreeveryone wished to keep open the option of endless addition.As Hindus know, we live forever:there is no hurry to complete anything.But what appeared now on the last stretch, on both sides of the highway, wasa half-made urban sprawl that was devastating.Harsh, without a trace of green.Tiny, naked houses, their bricks stitched together with ugly cement, jostled with each other to gain some air.Most were boxes, two storeys high, with barely a window.The paths between them were unpaved; the sludge clogged the open gutters;garbage heaps grew where they could find purchase;black hairy swine nosed in them for succour;small green-black ponds played host to man and buffalo.

[...]

But perhaps the most powerful element of Tejpal's writing is how he brings eroticism to the page.As all writers (and wannabe writers) know, sex scenes are hard to do tastefully and convincingly, yet Tejpal turns raw lust into poetry, using smells and textures to heighten the readers senses:&I put my hand on her hair and ruffled it slowly, lifting the bunched black curls and dropping them.Like her flawless skin, her hair was alive.It moved in the hand, as if caressing you back.

...and The room was dark and my mouth was everywhere and the white cotton she was wearing was crisp and thin and I was firm and insanely in love and she was wet and impossibly beautiful and our hands were potters and our flesh was clay; and then there were voices outside the door and she was on the edge of the bed and I could smell her love and I could taste her love and I could hear her love and my love was straining for her love and then I was where I belonged and where I wanted to live and where I wanted to die and the world was a slip of skin and the world was two slips of skin and the world was only slips of skin and the world was liquid and the world was tight and the world was a furnace and the world was moving and the world was slipping and the world was exploding and the world was ending and the world was ending and the world had ended.

There's lots of humour which often derives from situations and quirky characters as well as some brilliant imagery:

The vehicle my friend had deployed to transport us to Delhi was a Second World War truck converted into a bus. [&] It had a snout.Slightly open, as if it was having trouble breathing.A recent paint jobbluethat could not conceal its age.Fat round tyres with no tread on them.And two-by-two seats running its length along a narrow aisle.

The colonel examined it like a horse, walking all around it and feeling its flanks.He even tried the doors, opening and shutting them.As if lifting skin flaps to check gums.

He said, We used to have a couple of these in the regiment in the fifties.Solid fellows.They served Monty well at Alamein.

Should they be on the road?I asked hopefully.

In a museum, in a museum, he said, This should be in a museum.

But in India we know everything that should be in a museum is out on the roads being abused.From ideas to artifacts to buildings.People too, actually.

I said, Colonel sahib, will it make it to Delhi?

All the characters are lovingly and convincingly drawn: the husband, with his deprecating and often mocking self-perception; Fizz, in her vulnerability, integrity, innocence and sweetness; Catherine, a sexual parallel in the past, described with astonishing insight and understanding.The secondary personalities provide colour and depth to the story, reflecting India's complex and diverse melting pot.

Conclusion
There is so much to say about Alchemy that I cant possibly do it justice here, except to say that it has immense power and is hard to put down;moving, funny, erotic and satirical, it catches you in its momentum so that when its over all you can do is go Wow!

The book has been enormously successful in Europe and should be released in the US some time this month. Readers who enjoy contemporary Indian literature are likely to get really passionate about this one.

Look out for it in the bookstores!
... Read more

Book Description
Drawing upon centuries of alchemical symbolism and occult correspondences, this deck is designed as a powerful tool for spiritual renewal and personal transformation. Use the cards for solving problems, finding a new direction, divination, or meditation.

Created by Raymond Buckland, bestselling author and leading authority on the occult, the Cards of Alchemy are catalysts for positive change in all areas of your life. Each of the fifty cards also features keywords, and astrological correspondences to complement and enhance the layers of meaning embedded within each card.

The accompanying guidebook includes detailed interpretations for each card, several card layouts, and suggestions for creating an ongoing practice. Transform yourself into a spiritual alchemist in the laboratory of your life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not for Tarot Readers
I didn't buy these cards for reading, only to use a book markers for jewelry books.While I am not satisfied they are sort of relevant because they have the names of stones on them.

With that said the cards a not made from strong cardstock as most Tarot decks are, it is more of a light cardstock rather than regular card material.They also have a somewhat strange pale yellow back ground color.The images on the cards are not as radiant as seen in the computer images and lack detail.There is no border surrounding the reading area and some images seem to be printed a little askew.As for people planning to use them for reading, it is probably not the best investment.The cards are printed horizontal therefor they do not seem to be reversible and will wear out quickly. ... Read more

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